Research on new cost effective system leads me toward server reliability +SAS 10K, NAS, Core i3-8100 +1151v2 socket, H370 chipset, ASRock MB, lots of DDR4 RAM, GeForce GPU. I like ATX form factor and solid case, efficient power, easy cooling, Win7 (loathe W10). What would you recommend? Am reading about ARM: is Intel a wise choice? How about a desktop CPU more like a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 processor? Own an old Macbook Pro with a horrible touchpad (I use a mouse and Win7) and value. Could give up my desktop if I could find a DIY laptop for good value that would allow me to use my 24" Dell U2412 monitor and Logitech Z130 speakers.

Titan

You can't go wrong with a Samsung SSD. Since Win7 is losing support in less than a year (Jan 2020) I would go Windows 10. Then look up articles to make Windows 10 like Windows 7. For example replace the start menu with Classic Shell ...